Probe into Vice cops raid of British universities fair

By Abdullah Al-Ghamdi

RIYADH – The Riyadh Emirate on Tuesday ordered an investigation into last Sunday’s disruption of a British Universities Fair at Yamamah College here by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haya) objecting to intermingling of men and women.

The investigation order was issued by Acting Emir Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz.

Fair supervisor Abdulaziz Al-Sharikh said the vice cops entered the campus late in the afternoon posing as representatives of a government body. College security staff could not stop them.

Once inside, the Haya men went around asking Saudi women to leave the fair at once, he said.

They also wanted the British women representatives of 25 British universities participating in the fair to stop interacting with the visitors, Al-Sharikh said.

The matter was brought to the attention of the British Council and the British representative of the fair, and the British women were consequently asked to leave.

They were taken to the Sports Hall where they waited for their hotel buses.

Meanwhile, Saudi women wanting to gather information about British universities were prevented by the Haya men from entering the fair.

Haya deputy chief Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Huwaimil said he had no clue about the incident as he was in Makkah at the time.

Haya spokesman Ahmad Al-Jardan said the case is with the Commission’s Branch in Riyadh.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Shetri, chief of the Riyadh branch of Haya, said by telephone he would provide more information later, but calls to his phone afterwards went unanswered.

Sunday’s fair was reopened after the Commission members left. Yamamah College has not received any clarification or apology from the Commission for the disruption.

The investigation will be conducted by a committee comprising representatives of the Riyadh Emirate, Ministry of Higher Education, the Riyadh Police Department, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and the Commission of Investigation and Prosecution. – Okaz/SG